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Helpful Tips
Suffer From Chronic Symptoms With Perimenopause? Then Try This Now!
Ahh the joys of growing older. If menopause wasn’t enough to deal with you also have perimenopause thrown in the mix. But how do you define it, what are the associated symptoms with perimenopause and what can you do to help?
Perimenopause refers to the time before menopause when your body is making its natural transition. While perimenopause can start as young as in your 30s, it typically starts in your 40s, marking the lead up to when your period stops – which can be years, whereas menopause marks just the one day – and is defined/marked by the 12 months since your last period.
Perimenopause encompasses so many things. Mostly the symptoms we attribute to ‘menopause’:
- The time where you are still having a menstrual cycle
- The changes in that cycle
- The start of menopausal symptoms
It’s not all bad. Perimenopause allows us a chance to change how we look after our hormones and to adjust our lifestyles to help support this change.
Side Effects Associated With Perimenopause
The side effects you often see with perimenopause are broad and range from minor to chronic. If you are experiencing a number of these changes, both physically and within your nervous system then you may be experiencing perimenopause.
Physically changes may occur such as;
- Vaginal dryness
- Painful joints and body
- Palpitations and sweating
- Hot flashes
- Bloating
- Breast tenderness
- Dry mouth
- Bladder changes
- Skin changes (acne, itchy skin, drier skin)
- Hair loss
- Diarrhea or constipation
Nervous system changes may include:
- Poor sleep
- Irritation
- Anger
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Poor memory
- Mood changes (anxiety or depression or both)
- Reduced sexual desire/drive
- Panic attacks
- Night sweats
Whether you experience one or many of these symptoms with perimenopause, you do have some options. So please don’t think you have to put up with them, reach out and seek help!
What Can You Do To Help Perimenopause Symptoms?
This sudden and drastic change in hormones you experience with perimenopause has a very real effect on your ability to concentrate and on your brain function and mood. These changes can cause anxious thoughts, irritation, poor sleep, depression and a sudden change in your ability to remember things. Your nervous system gets a massive jolt throughout this time, and this is why looking after yourself with good food and utilising plants can help.
Consult your doctor - For some of these symptoms your medical professional might be able to help with pharmaceuticals such as a hormone cream. If your symptoms are severely impacting on your quality of life it is important you seek out what options you have from all sources.
Track your cycle - Cycles can alternate between light and heavy, painful, or not, regular or irregular which makes it hard for women to work with. Some people who have gone through these issues suggest using symptom tracking with menstrual cycle apps.
Plants That Can Help With Perimenopause Symptoms
In regards to support from natural health, incorporating more nervine support could help with more stable moods and hopefully more successful sleep. Plants like St Johns wort, lemon balm, chamomile, valerian and hops can be very helpful in supporting sleep and relaxation. As your hormones fluctuate daily - nervine support is best daily too.
Our Liver Bitters, which contains globe artichoke, can also help with supporting your detoxification pathways, bloating, digestive upsets or constipation, and also support more balanced blood sugars as hormonal imbalances can affect the way you metabolise your food.
We use yarrow, motherwort, red clover and sage in our Hormone Balance which is specifically formulated to help support the symptoms of PMS and perimenopause.
Have You Noticed Any Changes In Your Cycle?
Perimenopause is not predictable and can start slow, or fast and continue in a roller-coaster way for years. The first thing people notice is the change in their cycles, or new symptoms such as anxiety or a multitude of symptoms at once. When it comes to the symptoms associated with perimenopause, we are all different.
The hot flushes and night sweats come along a bit further into perimenopause so it might be worth looking at your last few cycles and thinking about how you have been feeling; is there anything new? Or has something changed?
Although perimenopause sounds less than fun, some people have reported that this time in their life saw them try new things, become more creative. It's was also a chance to look at their lives and decide to get rid of what wasn't serving them anymore. So it's not all bad!
